Thread: Help with black powder rifle

Originally Posted by hollowpoint

At this stage im looking at anything that may work it has been suggested to try buckshot ball with patch

When you fire a ball it will no longer be a round ball as the pressure will bump it to the bore size so will become sorta oval

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

I'd follow Maca's advice, he knows his stuff.

A slug in .301 PP'd up to .308/.309 works great in my 308win with smokeless, might be a place to start.

Thanks for that but I really know bugger all! I have a guy I get info from and he has a library that is jus amazing. I think with BP you can experiment without killing yourself , within reason. It is relatively easy to load and shoot a rifle that's in good nick.

Originally Posted by Maca49

Thanks for that but I really know bugger all! I have a guy I get info from and he has a library that is jus amazing. I think with BP you can experiment without killing yourself , within reason. It is relatively easy to load and shoot a rifle that's in good nick.

I could sniff BP all day, reminds me of Guy Fawkes

A bud once caught me yoinking a long string connected to an old 303 (he had sold me) mounted in sandbags, he complained that I could trust the gun and I told him I couldn't trust the load I was putting through it hehe

Just did the same with an old sleeved 12 guage, gave me the confidence to hold to my shoulder after about 5 shots.
My 577/450 loaded with 85 grains of ffg is a handful but awesome fun. Better when the smoke from that drifts down the range and into the nostriles of the others.love shooting my 45/70s

Excuse the state of my office,

That's your .50 cal?

Hi no thats the 30cal

Nice looking rifle, has it never been fired?

I brought the rifle while on holiday in Rotorua it was at the local hunting and fishing store ,I was told that it had come from a deceased estate and that the wife of the previous owner had brought it in with other bits and pieces that she wanted to get rid of, they did say that it had been fired but they had no idea on how one of the guys there did seem to know quite a bit about the rifle as in who made it and told me to contact people at the local black powder club here in whanagarei for help which in its self is a bit of a challenge as I’m finding it hard to find contacts for BP shooting in whangarei.
If it proves too hard to get sorted I’m still not too worried as it’s a real cracker little rifle and good conversation piece.

I'll see what my mate has in the way of moulds, but later in the week

Thank for all your help

No listings in my books but I would get an old Lee mould in a smaller caliber then get someone to ream it out to the shape and size you want, simple job.

Hi.guys, yes I think your best bet is a lee mold, 170/80g, but cast with wheel weights or lino type, the 3030 has a fast twist rifling and soft lead could lead up the barrel . All so a round ball needs a slow twist, 1 in 48", but mite be ok with a light load of 30/40 grs of fffg, Still be hard to get the bullets in, good luck, Homebrew.357.

Hi.guys, yes I think your best bet is a lee mold, 170/80g, but cast with wheel weights or lino type, the 3030 has a fast twist rifling and soft lead could lead up the barrel . All so a round ball needs a slow twist, 1 in 48", but mite be ok with a light load of 30/40 grs of fffg, Still be hard to get the bullets in, good luck, Homebrew.357.